Whitewater rafting along the rapids of West Virginia’s New River is fueling the revival of a region that once roared to the rhythm of coal cars.
Larry Nibert, a rafting guide and descendant of coal miners, sees reminders of his family’s history everywhere.
“I feel an overwhelming sense of pride. Three generations of us had been in the mines and I was the first one to ever step out otherwise. I was this close to going to the coal mines,” Nibert said.
Coal once powered the economy here, but those jobs have dwindled to a fraction of what they were as cheaper natural gas undercut demand for coal. But hope is now streaming through this part of West Virginia, centered around the New River Gorge National Park.
“When the last coal mine in the Gorge closed, which was in the early 1960s, that was about the same time that we actually had the first whitewater industry come in,” said Eve West, who has worked at the park since 2013.
West says the turnaround started in 2020, when New River Gorge was officially designated as a national park.
“It was a game changer for us. I mean, our visitation has gone up about 40% historically over a 5-year period,” West said.
Besides whitewater rafting, there’s rock climbing, mountain biking and zip lining. It’s also the only national park in the country that allows bridge base jumping, once a year.
Since New River Gorge was designated a national park, local employment and visitor spending has nearly doubled, leading to an $86 million infusion to the local economy in 2023, according to the National Park Service.
“I just think it shows that there is always hope. We may have to pivot, just kind of have to look at where the opportunities are,” West said.
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